Ed Goble and FAIR MORMON (FAIR LDS)

A few months ago, I met Ed Goble, who was a co-author with Wayne May of the book This Land. We had a long lunch and follow-up discussions about various topics. Ed is thoughtful, smart, and curious, just a good guy with some important contributions.

He recently did an interview with Mormon Book Reviews about the origins of the ideas about a limited geography North American setting for the Book of Mormon, based on the New York Cumorah. He also explained his interactions with FAIR Mormon (now FAIR LDS).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb1HAuTbZPM 

At one point, Steve and Ed discussed the origin of some of the contention that existed historically between the M2Cers and what came to be known as the Heartlanders.

https://youtu.be/Gb1HAuTbZPM

This is interesting history that is probably not well known. It's also useful as a lesson about how to engage with people who have different opinions. 

There was a time years ago when LDS apologists were so adamant about their M2C theories that they developed a siege mentality that drove their rhetoric and tactics.

By now, most people (with the lingering exception of a handful of LDS apologists and anti-LDS critics) accept the concept of multiple working hypotheses. We're not yet at the point where everyone is willing to participate in a full comparison of alternatives, but we're getting closer.

Eventually, as more and more Latter-day Saints (and their critics) join the pursuit of clarity, charity and understanding (nomorecontention.com), we'll eliminate any lingering contention altogether.

Then everyone will participate in a united effort to apply the FAITH model of analysis. We will all clearly identify the unambiguous Facts so that everyone can agree on what the facts are. The we will delineate the respective Assumptions and Inferences that lead people to their differing Theories, ultimately producing the overall worldviews or Hypotheses through which everyone sees the world.

That FAITH model enables everyone to make informed decisions with no sense of compulsion or animosity toward others.